Putting the Finger on Modern Paganism

I spent a fortnight in England this summer. Staying in an excellent Orthodox monastery (St. John the Baptist in Essex) and touring the country for another week. The greatest part of the week, I believe, will prove to be the fact that I was roommate for 14 days with my 19 year-old son, James. He’s good company and very down-to-earth in his assessments of things. Solid man – the type you’d want in a foxhole with you. The most fun moment probably came at Stonehenge. We enjoyed the monument, even when it was attacked by a giant finger! It’s an incredible piece of prehistoric work, whatever it was used for. Shortly after we arrived (in the week following summer solstice, mind you), busloads of badly dressed pilgrims showed up for druid stuff. I say, “badly dressed,” not because it was poorly sewn and what-not, but because everyone seemed to think that something period-based was necessary. Now, mind you, I was standing there in standard issue Russian Orthodox cassock, so I can’t complain about looking a bit different. But things suddenly looked like historical reenactment events - only, organized by highschoolers. They drifted away to a neighboring field and carried on whatever religious rites they have contrived.

The great tragedy is that they are drawn to this mysterious place for something (they know not what) and nothing has challenged them beyond the ordinary other than this silly dress up druidism. Not the Church – nothing else. Something has got to be better than a do-it-yourself religion (no one knows more than a paragraph or two about genuine druid thought). Here I ached for the children of Britain (and America). Their experience is emptied by our vacuous culture. They’re willing to buy literally just anything. And the greatest story ever told has become somehow so tame that it cannot capture their imagination. How sad. How deeply sad for us all.

The deepest longings of Paganism, strangely enough, are fulfilled in the fullness of the Christian faith. Everything man wants and desires (truly) is to be found in this fullness. I did not preach at Stonehenge, though I wanted to. St. Paul is  braver than me and would not have avoided such an opportunity. God help us and make us more like St. Paul.

3 Responses to “Putting the Finger on Modern Paganism”

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1. Fr. Greg says:

   October 21, 2006 at 5:30 pm

   Of course, you have plenty of neo-paganism to deal with in East Tennessee, just not a focal point such as Stonehenge.

   Happy to see if you’ve got your own blog, Father. May I suggest that, if possible, you add the dreaded “math question” spam blocker?
2. Fr Stephen says:

   October 21, 2006 at 6:06 pm

   Most of our neo-paganism in Tennessee is carried out on certain Saturday’s in the Fall. They’re wrestling with the neo-pagans from Alabama as I type this note.

   I’ll look into the math question. Good suggestion.
3. Steve Hayes says:

   October 24, 2006 at 12:09 am

   You reminded me of a trip my wife and I made last year, only we visited Stonehenge on the first day, and spent our last weekend at St John the Baptist Monastery.

   And yes, I think what you say about neopaganism is right on. I think it is probably the Orthjodox Christian faith that is what many are searching for, but we have somehow managed to hide it from them.

   I wrote something on it, Christianity, paganism and literature — would be interested in your comments, if you have time.